Method ojt and apparatus por holding and curing concrete



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,467

M. s. WEAVER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING AND CURING CONCRETEFiled Nov. 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,467

M. s. WEAVER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING AND CURING CONCRETEFiled Nov. 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ba Q s2 1 a 7 B4 2 {2}, pressuri)wahr supp y.

I 1f sew? "1 E I i 'l l l AAWAv 1444-: W 3 C? HI? D3 Patented Nov. 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oar-10E.

IAEVIN 8. WEAVER, O! SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA.

I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING AND CURING CON CRETE.

Application filed November 9, 1926. Serial No. 68,028.

This invention relates to the making of concrete and particularly to thetreating of the concrete mixture with water while the mixture is settingor hardening.

6 The chief object of the invention is to provide for delivering waterinto the interior of a mass of concrete mixture placed for setting,

the water permeating outward through the mass of mixture and delivery ofwater into the mass being made while such outward per meation or flowproceeds.

Various means will be described to adapt the interior of the mixturemass to receive water and means will be described for deliv- E5 eringthe water into the mass. In the preferred form, water-conducting meanswill extend from a source of water supply under pressure into themixture mass which has been placed for setting, the part or parts of 3the conducting means within the mass being perforated or otherwiseformed for permitting movement of the water outward into and 7 throughthe mass. In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is an upright sectional elevation showing a mold andwater-delivery means in position;

Fig. 1 is a detail view of a pipe coupling; Fig. 2 is a view similar toFig. 1, the mo d being in the horizontal position;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the same coupling with another form of pipe;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation showing four molds and water deliverypipes leading into those molds and to a source of water sup ply underpressure, the pipe adjacent the molds being provided with acut-offvalve, an air tank, and a pressure gage;

Fig. 5 is an upright section of a column and a beam which are to formparts of a build- Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line, 6-6, ofFig. 5; Fig. 7 is an 7-7, of Fig. 5.

' Referring first to Fig. 1, A is an upright mold. B-is an upright tubeor pipe located in the mold and having any number of perforations, B,for the passing of water from the interior of the tube. The upper end ofthis tube extends into a coupling, B From that coupling a pipe, Bextends upward to an elevated funnel or tank, B, which is to containwater. On the tube between the up upright section on the line,

per end of the mold and the tank is a cut ofi' valve, B, by which theflow of water from' the tank into said pipe may be regulated. The spacewithin the mold is to be filled with a concrete mixture and allowed toremain during setting. During the setting eriod water is to be allowedto flow downwardfroin the tank into the pipe, perforations, B and s1mixture mass. I

At the beginning of the setting eriod, the valve is to be closed or sonearly 0 osed as to allow the passing of only a small quantity of water.With the gradual setting of the mass, the valve is to be opened more andmore to allow more and more water to enter the pipe and to increase thepressure on the water in the pipe, whereby the movement of the waterowly permeate the B, and through the l outward through the mixture masswill be facilitated. en the setting period has ended, the pi e, B, is toremain in the mass, the pipe, B eing uncoupled.

The pipe, B, may -be any ordinary metal pipe sufficiently strong toresist inward pressure of the concrete mixture. Thus this pipe may bemade of thin sheet metal with a coupling, B attached. Fig. 1 shows thiscoupling made by merely inserting the upper port of the pipe, B, intothe pipe, B. The pipe, 13?, may have a circumferential shoulder, 1%,resting on the upper end of the plpe,

The pipe, B, may be formed of perforated pasteboard treated with anywater proof material. This pipe may also be made of wire netting or anyother material which is sufiiciently strong to resist inward pressure ofthe mixture mass and which will receive water and allow it to moveoutward into the mixture. A coarse wire netting tube might be surroundedwith a cloth covering which is woven closely enough to compel slowoutward moving of water from the tube. That cloth or the wire netting ofsufliciently small mesh might be covered with any coating slowly solublein water and adapted to prevent or nearly prevent outward flow of wateruntil there is such elapse of time as is needed for dissolving saidcoating material, the outward pressure of the water at the beginning ofthe setting of the mixture being thus controlled. The tube, B, mightalso be composed of a section of bamboo or similar plant stem.

It is to be understood that if the mold, A,

horizontal group and eachof these molds has a pipe, B connected to ahorizontal pipe, C, leading to a Water supply under pressure. On eachpipe, B is a cut-off valve, B. Above a part of the pipe, C, approachingthe group of molds is an air tank, G which is connected to said pipe bya branch pipe, OK. On the pipe, O, at the side of the banch pipe, C

opposite the group of molds is a valve, C On the pipe, C, between thepipe, 0, and the group of molds is a pressure gage, O.

Each of the four molds, A, A, is provided with pipes, B, as alreadydescribed in connection with Fig. 1. When these molds have been chargedready for setting, the valves, B,

are to be opened. Then the valve, O is to be opened sufficiently toallow water. to pass to the branch pipe, C and into the air tank, O andinto the pressure gage and into the pipes, B and B, until the gageindicates the pressure which is to be applied to the water in the pipes,B, of the molds at the beginning of the setting of the mass. Then thevalve, C is to be closed. The air in the air tank will form a cushion.This tank may be of sufficient capacity to hold enough water to supplythe molds a considerable time. Thereafter, from time to time, the valve,0 is to be opened for the admission of more water to raise the waterpressure in the molds to the desired degree. If the pressure from thesource of water supply is-not too high, the valve, C may be left open.

Referring now to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, D is an upright mold for forming acolumn which is to form part of a building and D is a mold for forming abeam having one end joined to said column. D are ordinary reinforcingrods placed in the mold, D, and D? are ordinary reinforcing rods placedin the mold, D

Perforated pipes, E, are placed upright in the part of the column belowthe beam mold, D The lower ends of said pipes are connected by ahorizontal pipe, E, which is connected to a pipe, E leading to a sourceof water supply which may be of an ordinary city water supply system. Inthe beam mold are horizontal perforated pipes, F. These pipes alsoextend into the column mold. A pipe, F is connected with the pipes, F,and with a source of water supply. Above the pipes, F, perforated pipes,G, are placed upright in the column mold, D. A pipe, G connects thelower ends of the pipes, G, and leads to a source of water supply.

The pipes, E F and G are each to be provided with a valve and a pressuregage, if so desired. When this column mold and the beam mold have beenfilled with the concrete mixture, the water is to be turned into thepipes, E, F and G, in the manner already described In connection withFig. 1, the water pressure being varied as the settitng of the mixturemass progresses, the pressure being slight while the mixture is stillsoft and not adapted to resist pressure exerted by the water in theperforatedpipes.

g It will be noted that two sets of upright pipes are put into thecolumn mold." That aids equalizing pressure. If high pipes were used,the water pressure in the upper and the lower parts of the pipes wouldbe unequal to an objectionable degree, the pressure in the lower ends ofthe pipes being'excessive.

In all these cases, a perforated pipe or similar member constitutes areceptacle for receiving and delivering water, said receptacle beingopen for connection with means for inserting water into said rceeptacle.

When the water receiving and delivering pipe which is placed into themold is composed of metal,it will serve as a reinforcing member, inFigs. 5, 6 and 7, the rods, D and D and the pipe, E, F and Gtogetherconstitute reinforcing means for the concrete.

By trial I have found that, as the end of the setting period approaches,the water pressure may be much increased. I have also found by trialthat giving the mixture this ample supply ofwater during the greaterpart of the setting period causes greater and more i ter appliedexternally. In other'words, the

superior quality of the concrete obtained by my method amply compensatesfor the use of the mechanism required. Furthermore, by this method, anyconcrete job can be put through the setting period with practically nolabor. When the water connection has been made with the pipes in themolds, the job can be left to itself excepting for occasional adjustmentof water flow. Columns, pillars, abutments, slabs, paving, etc., may bethus constructed without the labor of external water treatment andprotection against premature drying.

I claim as my invention: 1. The herein described method of making aconcrete structure, which method consists in mixing the constituents andplacing them for setting and enclosing in the mass thus formed means forreceiving and delivering waterinto the interior of said mass, andplacingwater under pressure into said mass, said ressure exceeding gravitypressure due to eight of water in said mass, whereby water permeatesoutward through said mass, substantially as described.

2. The herein described method of making a concrete structure, whichmethod consists in mixing the constituents and placing them for settingand enclosing in the mass thus formed means for receiving and deliveringwater into the interior of said mass, and placing water under pressureinto said means and varying said pressure, said pressure exceedinggravity pressure due to height of water in said mass, whereby waterpermeates outward through said mass, substantially as de scribed.

3. The herein described method of making a concrete structure, whichmethod consists in mixing the constituents and placing them for settingand enclosing, at different elevations, in the mass thus formed meansfor receiving and delivering water into the interior of said mass, andplacing water into said receiving and delivering means under pressureexceedlng gravity pressure, whereby Water permeates outward through saidmass, substantially as described.

4. The herein described method of making a concrete structure, whichmethod consists in mixing the constituents and placing. them for settingand enclosing, at different elevations, in the mass thus formed, meansfor receiving and delivering water into the interior of the mass, andplacing water under pressure in said receiving and delivering means andvarying the pressure, said pressure exceeding gravity pressure due toheight of water in said mass, substantially as described.

5. The herein described method of making a concrete structure whichmethod consists in mixing the constitutents and placing them for settingand placing the interior of the mass thus formed into communication witha source of water supply under pressure greater than desired in saidmeans and reducing said pressure between said source and the mass,substantially as described.

6. The herein described method ofmakinga concrete structure, whichmethod consists in mixing the constituents and placing them for settingand forming in the mass a space open to receive water and communicatingwith the mass, then placing water into said space and progressivelyadding pressure to said water, said pressure exceeding gravity pressuredue to helght of water in said mass, substantially as described.

7. vThe herein described method of making a concrete structure, whichmethod consists in mixing the constituents and placing them for settingand then introducing water into the interior of the mixture at differentelevations and under pressure exceeding gravity pressure and allowingsaid water to permeate outward through the mixture, substantially asdescribed.

In a concrete molding apparatus, the combination of retaining wallsforming a chamber, and water receiving and delivering means includingsoluble material and located in said chamber and communicating with theexterior, substantially as described.

9. In a concrete molding apparatus, the combination of retainingwallsforming a chamber, a laterally-apertured tube, and soluble coatingon said tube, substantially as described.

In testimon whereof I have signed my name, this 27th day of October, inthe year one thousand nine hundred and twenty-five.

MARVIN S. WEAVER.

